Harry and Draco Break Hogwarts
by dylanpidge
Summary: What would you do to alleviate your boredom? Harry and Draco are willing to form a pretend romantic relationship to cause utter chaos throughout the castle. McGonagall can only count down the days until graduation. And of course, this wouldn't be a real fake relationship story if the two didn't fall in love along the way.
1. Chapter 1: New Year, New Draco

The war was over. Life was…okay for Draco. His father was in Azkaban, no one trusted him, but at least he still had his mother. In the months following the Final Battle, Draco had felt searing guilt whenever he thought back to the crumbling ruins of Hogwarts that _he_ had inadvertently caused. His mother had tried to comfort him, but nothing can erase his history. After weeks on barely any sleep, Draco sent out a single owl with a signed parchment for half of the Malfoy fortune. A mere day later, McGonagall came to visit him herself. As soon as Draco let her past the wards, he was enveloped in a warm hug. Taking a deep breath he didn't know he needed, Draco breathed in the scent of the castle he could smell on the elder witch. Tears sprung to his eyes without consent and he hesitantly returned the hug with the same fierceness as McGonagall.

After a moment of silence, she whispered in his ear, "Hogwarts will always be your home."

Before another word could be said she was already turning away with a tight smile, eyes glimmering slightly. With practiced ease, McGonagall reigned in her emotions again and turned to Draco with her familiar disciplinary expression. She thrust an envelope into his hands, one with a very recognizable stamp holding it shut. He remembered when the letter came with the morning owls just a few years ago. Now it felt a lifetime away. His 11-year-old self had been so excited, he had been filled with elation beyond his wildest dreams when he saw the crest on the stamp. That same feeling was bubbling up in him once again. McGonagall cleared her throat before speaking once more.

"I look forward to seeing you on September first, ."

Draco could only nod dumbly in reply. Looking at him once more, McGonagall made her way out of the wards before disapparating on the spot.

Thanks to a very generous anonymous donation, Hogwarts was able to be repaired before the new school year had started. Now it was January. The initial excitement had started to wear off for Draco, but every day still felt like a pleasant dream. While much of the school was still untrustworthy of him, his Slytherin housemates were behind him. And if that wasn't enough to deter any antagonistic action towards the blonde, a stern glare from the Deputy Headmistress usually did the trick. So, everything was okay for Draco. It would be great—if it wasn't for that damned Potter

He was staring at him again. Draco could feel the other's blazing green eyes burning a hole through the back of his head. If Draco was a Gryffindor, he would have turned around by now and shot a stinging hex at the other boy. But Draco was a Slytherin, a snake. And snakes knew when to lie in wait, knowing an opportunity to strike will come. For now, Draco took the opportunity to challengingly stare back at Potter. The boy had already pushed his dinner away and seemed to be ignoring the male weasel's incessant chattering in favor of continuing to gaze at Draco. He saw the female Weasley sitting further down the table. It seems the two had parted ways romantically soon after the war ended. Draco sneered at the dark-haired boy. Bloody Potter. He seemed to have relaxed since the war ended; Draco noticed it the first time he laid eyes on him back in September. He was much more laid-back now, deciding to take the scenic route for now.

Draco scoffed under his breath before turning back to his own uneaten meal. He thought back the letter his mother had sent him that morning. She wrote to him every week now since Lucius wasn't there to scold her for coddling the boy. One section had stuck around in his head and refused to leave.

 _It's already January and nothing exciting has happened at Hogwarts. That's a first for you, isn't it? Doesn't something fantastic or terrifying usually happen? It must be a boring year for you, Little Dragon…_

Ignoring the childhood nickname with practiced ease, Draco instead focused his attention on one particular word. _Boring._ Was he bored? He didn't think so, but the more he thought about he realized he might not be in a pleasant dream, but an unending one. Frowning slightly, Draco stood up quickly from the table—attracting the attention of his year-mates around him.

A light touch on his arm made Draco look down, grey eyes already filled with slight exasperation. He tampered if down quickly. There was no point taking out his annoying on anyone other than Potter.

It was Pansy, her dark eyes looking over his face worriedly as she asked, "Are you feeling alright, Draco?"

He gave her a small smile. It was nice to be reminded that not everyone hated him. His eyes flitted to Potter's for a second as he answered, "I'm fine, just tired. I'm just going to go to bed early."

The worry in Pansy's eyes didn't diminish with his explanation but she did ease the grip off his sleeve. Taking that as an exit opportunity, Draco made his way between the tables filled with food before finally making his ways out of the door of the Great Hall. He was halfway to the Slytherin dorms when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"How bored are you?"

He stopped and pivoted to face the person who has been giving him a consistent headache. It was Potter, of course. His posture gave off a relaxed, confident sort of air—fitting for someone who just recently defeated a dark lord. His hair was as untamed as ever, looking so messy it looked intentional. What drew the blonde-haired wizard's attention the most was the other boy's eyes. They were their usual ethereal green but now there was something else behind them. Something almost mischievous—one that filled Draco with a sense of terrible foreboding.

Those eyes were a wake-up call that brought Draco back to the present. He thought back to the question and his face twisted up in annoyed confusion. Did Potter learn Legilimency over break?

"What the bloody hell do you mean by that, Potter?" Draco asked heatedly, wanting the interaction to be over with already.

"I know you've seen me watching you but I had to make sure I was completely right. You're bored out of your mind here, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not."

Yes, he was. Even if nothing outrageous was happening, Draco used to have his rivalry with Potter to fall back on. This year, up until recently, Draco had no interaction at all with the green-eyed wizard. Potter had kept his distance so he had kept his. Because of this, most of Draco's days were spent studying or conversing with his fellow Slytherins. While a nice reprieve from wartime, life was missing that _spark_ it used to have.

Potter was right, his mother was right. He was so. Bloody. Bored. The boy on his mind seemed to sense the resignation in the other's thoughts because he forged on with a quick breath.

"I have a...proposition for you." Potter seemed to have a hard time choosing the right word, and in the end, he still looked dissatisfied with his choice. Draco waited with an inkling of suspicion, willing to at least hear what he came to say. Staring at the wall, Potter seemed to figure out what he came there to talk about.

"I have been utterly bored. Deathly bored, since we've been back at Hogwarts. Everything has been too...normal, I hate to say. I just want _something_ to happen. And I'd be willing to do anything at this point," at that point, Potter looked back to meet Draco's stone-grey eyes. Suddenly, an absolutely _wicked_ grin began to overtake Potter's face—bringing back memories of the Weasley twins days at Hogwarts.

"Want to pull a prank with me? If we play our cards right, we can extend it to the end of the school year. What I'm suggesting is a bit jarring—but that's the point, isn't it? What I want, Draco, is for us to pretend to be together, and mess around with the rest of the Hogwarts' occupants until we graduate."

The longer Potter went through his monologue, the more confidence he seemed to gain, and the faster he talked—betraying the obvious nervousness the boy was trying to hide. Draco, however, was frozen in place like he was just petrified by a Basilisk. And did Potter just call him Draco? Since the fair-haired wizard was in no condition to stop him, Potter forged on.

"I know it's crazy and sounds out of the blue, but that's why it would work so well. I was thinking one day about Ginny and me, and how things didn't work out. I was wondering, 'is there anyone at Hogwarts right for me?' At least Hermione and Ron had each other."

At the last sentence, a buried sadness in Potter seemed to spring forth. Draco's breath caught at just how _lonely_ the other boy looked in that moment, standing in front of him with his shoulders slightly hunched, a sorrowful look on his face. Draco waited again as the dark-haired teen gathered himself.

"So I thought to myself, 'who could be the most outrageous person I could date right now?' And that's obviously you Malfoy." Potter laughed as he said this.

"And as soon as you popped into my head, the overwhelming boredom had come back once again. So I thought, 'what would Fred and George have done?'" Potter sent another sad smile towards Draco at the mention of Fred before it cooled back into a hopeful look.

"And you know the rest. I watched you for a while to see if you were bored enough to even go for it, and now here we are. So what do you say, Draco? Want to put on a real show?"

Potter was practically out of breath by the end of his diatribe. A sly look tried to overtake Potter's hopeful expression, but Draco could still see the anxiety layered behind it as well. And so, Draco did the only thing that seemed to fit the situation.

He ran away.

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

Hello again! I just posted a story earlier this week (Tom Riddle gets drugged in it—check it out) but this plot bunny wouldnt leave me alone. This chapter is only the introduction with two other chapters planned out. If this gets enough positive feedback I'll come back and do a thorough edit. Until then, it will just stay a long plot bunny. Fave, follow, or leave a review if you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2: tête-à-tête

Draco was not hiding. He wasn't. He just decided that the mountain of blankets on his dorm bed was his new home. It was very comfortable, too. A knock came at the door.

"Draco, is everything alright in there?"

At the sound of Pansy's voice, Draco burrowed his way deeper into the blankets.

"Go away, I'm sleeping."

"You've been 'sleeping' for the past two days."

Silence.

"...Is it something Potter said to you?

At that name, Draco shot out of bed and opened the door to the dorm room. Pansy was standing there, hand posed to knock once again. She looked surprised by his appearance and once Draco looked down he could see why. It was after noon on Sunday and Draco was still in his pajamas. Yes, muggle pajamas. Since his father was locked away, his mother had become obsessed with muggle culture—in particular, the fashion aspect. His mother then ordered the elves to replace all his sleeping-wear with multiple pairs of silver-grey pajamas. She had said they really make his eyes 'pop'—a term she had picked up from the muggles. Draco just sighed in defeat at Pansy's obvious gawking.

"Why did you mention Potter, Pansy?"

She blushed slightly at being caught staring as she tucked a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear before responding, "Well after you practically ran out of the Great Hall during dinner Friday, Potter ran out of the hall right after you so I assumed he was going to speak with you. I was right, wasn't I? What did he say? You two haven't spoken since the school year began."

Pansy was practically drooling at the potentially juicy drama that was about to unfold. Draco refused to let her start any rumors, not until he could sort through everything Potter said. Draco turned around, going to gather some casual robes for a relaxing Sunday. He responded to Pansy over his shoulder, "It was nothing, really, just a minor disagreement."

The dark-haired witch pouted slightly while looking relieved all the while. She had invited herself through the doorway and was now pacing back and forth in the dorm room.

"That's good because while you might not like to hear it, the magical community is very wary of you right now. And getting into a fight with the Savior of the Wizarding World is not going to help matters. You have to start thinking about your future, Draco. You want to get a job at the Ministry, right? I can help you submit an application, it's important that you…"

Draco ignored anything else Pansy had to say after that. Why did everyone think he wanted to work at the Ministry? What, so he could be like his father? Life there would be so…

Boring.

…

 _Bollocks._

* * *

The only sound that could be heard was the scratching of quills on parchment, which is common for the library—especially when Pince was in a sour mood like she was today. Harry looked up from his Charms text to study his surroundings. While the majority of the library was unharmed in the attack, a small number of books had sadly been destroyed. While most of the books were replaced by donations or purchases—a few of them were unrecoverable, leaving the librarian in a prolonged foul mood.

Harry looked back down at the text, but his attention flitted away from it not a second later. The boy sighed. The only thing—well, person he could think about was Draco Malfoy. Harry wanted to punch himself. He had been so stupid! The boy hadn't even given time for Malfoy to think the proposition over before asking for a response. And did he really think _Malfoy_ was going to go for it, of all people? He had just been so desperate to not end the year with nothing to show for. That's not how the Marauders acted—Merlin knows what they did for their graduating prank. Even Fred and George went out with a blast of fireworks! Harry couldn't help but want to try to one-up them, and pretending to date Malfoy would blow any previous prank out of the water. But he had been too eager, he didn't think things through—

"You had the same look on your face when Snape assigned you personally a four-foot essay on the effects of toad droppings in potions. What could possibly have gotten your knickers in such a twist, Potter?"

Harry never thought he would feel so relieved to hear that snide tone. The dark-haired wizard looked over to meet Malfoy's strong, grey eyes.

"How did you find me?"

"You're a Gryffindor. Of course you're going to save your assignments for the last minute. Except for Granger, of course."

The blonde-haired teen was staring at him over the table, where he had taken a seat across from Harry. Malfoy held the other boys gaze for a moment before finally speaking again.

"Have you thought about the future impacts your little prank would have? What is the school going to think? What would The Prophet say?"

There was no real heat behind the words. It seemed Malfoy already had an idea of how Harry was going to answer. Harry humored him anyway.

"If you think I give a rat's arse about what The Prophet thinks of me, I don't. And the school's reaction is the most amusing part. I _hope_ we get a big reaction out of them! And I promise I don't mean this offensively, but can they really write anything worse about you than they already have?"

Harry was too nervous to look Malfoy head-on, instead choosing to look out a nearby window. Merlin balls, he let his mouth get ahead of him again. Hesitatingly making eye-contact with Malfoy once again, Harry was surprised to note the amused expression on Malfoy's face. The black-haired teen let out a relieved gust of air. He thought he had just messed up his final chance to get Malfoy to agree because he knew the boy wouldn't come to him again. He had to sell the idea then and there.

Malfoy was still looking at him in amusement when he answered, "Truthfully, being associated with you would only help my reputation. Even if it is _that_ way."

At the last sentence, a smirk widened across Malfoy's face, his eyes filled with mirth. Harry gave a startled laugh at those words. Harry drew in a deep breath before asking for the last time,

"So, what do you say, Malfoy?"

The blonde-haired teen's smirk widened before he held out his hand across the table, "Let's put on a real show."

Harry gave his own smirk in return, as he met Malfoy's hand across the table. His grip was cool against Harry's clammy one.

"Here's to not having a boring final year at Hogwarts, Draco."

They would have to start calling each other by the first names at some point, the other boy just had to get used to it. Draco seemed to catch on to Harry's line of thought.

"I'll shake to that, Harry."

* * *

McGonagall's quill clattered onto her desk from her slackened fingers. Dumbledore looked over curiously from his portrait.

"Minerva, is everything alright?"

The aging witch shivered fiercely before standing up.

"I just got a terrible feeling that this year is about to start running much less smoothly than before. I'm going to bed. Merlin knows when the next full night of sleep I might get will be…"

Dumbledore watched as McGonagall made her way to her living quarters. This was deeply unsettling. Albus himself had once felt the same thing before, like Hogwarts herself was warning him of something that was building up speed. He felt it when the Marauders were at Hogwarts—right before their final prank, and the Weasley twins—right before their grand finale against Umbridge.

Merlin help them all, because there is only _one_ boy in the castle that would cause that kind of reaction.

"Harry, my boy, just what are you planning?"

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

Wow! Has it only been a day? I don't know about you guys, but I personally hate not knowing when the next chapter of a work is going to come out, if ever. So I looked at the overwhelming positive response I received and I decided to post the story a little differently. Part of it is I'm really excited myself for this story so I want everyone to see it as soon as I'm able to write it. So instead of really long chapters, I'm going to post in smaller chapters so you guys get updates quicker. When it's all done, I'll combine everything together like I originally planned. Sound good to you guys? Make sure to leave a like and review if you enjoy!


	3. Chapter 3: Syltherin

The first few weeks were the easy part. First, they had to become _friends_. Draco sneered slightly at the word. His father's lessons were still ingrained in his head even if the man was out of sight. He remembers the man's final words before he boarded the train for the first time seven years ago.

 _Don't make friends, Draco. You're a Malfoy. We make allies._

He shook away the memory of the words to instead focus on eating his breakfast. For a few weeks now, Draco and Harry had started interacting on a regular basis. They could be seen walking down the halls, working in the library together, and sitting next to each other in classes. The school as a whole was a bit bemused by their actions, but no one had a bigger reaction than McGonagall herself. The first time the two boys sat next to each other in class was when they had Transfiguration scheduled. When McGonagall entered a few minutes later, she saw the two sworn enemies sitting next to each other and stood shock-still. She seemed to connect something to them because as the minutes passed of her just staring at Draco and Harry, her face filled with a slowly-growing horror. She said a quick, "class is canceled," before swiftly pivoting around walking straight out the classroom doors muttering, "One quiet year, I just wanted one quiet year."

Draco shook himself back to the present. That was almost a month ago. The student body was still wary of their interactions but they were slowly getting used to it. McGonagall continued to observe them with thinly veiled suspicion but it was nothing to two boys couldn't handle. Speaking of Harry, Draco cleared his school bag off of the bench next to him, opening up a clear spot to his right. Pansy looked over in curiosity from across the table when she noticed his movements. She noticed the now open seat next to Draco. Confusion colored her expression before she seemed to figure out just who that seat was for. Now a terrified expression took over her face.

"He can't sit with us, it's against the rules!"

"Actually, there's no rule that explicitly states that students can only sit at their own house table," Draco said mildly while wiping some non-existent dust off his robes. Daphne and Blaise looked over from their own conversation at Pansy's sudden outburst.

"Who's coming to sit here?" Daphne asked. Blaise was hiding his mouth behind his hand but Draco could see the amusement in his eyes. He had figured it out himself, it seems.

"Just Harry," Draco turned back to his spotless robes. "Knowing him, he forgot to finish his Potions essay."

Pansy was looking at him with concern, seeming nervous to broach the topic on her mind. Draco grinned internally. He had been waiting for one of his friends to confront him on his 'friendship' with Harry.

"Draco…I'm only asking you this because I'm worried about you, but why are you interacting so much with Potter all of the sudden?"

The majority of her gaze held concern, with a hint of suspicion as well.

"What's your game, Draco?"

"Hopefully Wizard's Chess. Draco promised he would verse me later. Sorry I'm late. I was just finishing up my Potions essay."

There was Harry, his savior in wrinkled school robes, his hair matching the disarray of the rest of his appearance. The green-eyed wizard adjusted his askew glasses and pulled his bag more securely over his shoulder. Draco's back was against the wall of the Great Hall so Harry had to make his way around part of the Slytherin table to reach him. The dirty and suspicious looks were studiously annoyed with years of practice. Finally he sat down next to Draco, then noticing that the trays of food were gone from the table. Harry groaned, causing a look of bemusement to cover Draco's face.

"I came too late, all the food's been Vanished" the dark-haired boy complained morosely.

Draco looked down at his mostly unfinished meal before he grabbed a spare piece of parchment out of his bag and transfigured it into a fork. He handed the fork to a sulking Harry, who perked up once he was handed the fork. Draco pushed his plate in between them.

"Here, we can share my breakfast." The blonde-haired boy said it with a slight smirk, knowing the act would freak out anyone secretly watching. Harry and Draco share a meal? Perish the thought. Harry returned with his own sly smirk and he picked up a sausage with his fork.

"Thanks, Draco," he said before take a big bite of the sausage in front of him. Draco had to hold back his laughter, and it seemed it was the same for Harry. They shared a silent moment to laugh internally at how well the prank was playing out.

From across the table, Pansy watched the scene unfold with outright horror on her face—her lower jaw almost touching her plate. Harry put his fork down before standing up, slinging his bag back over his shoulder.

"So, Potions?"

Draco stretched for a second, standing up as well before responding.

"Yes, I suppose we should get going."

Another minute later they were walking towards the doors of the Great Hall. Pansy watched on silently, still in a slight state of shock. Daphne looked over at her curiously.

"Something wrong, Pansy?"

Pansy just stared at the shutting Hall doors, shaking her head silently.

"I'm just wary of what could come from a friendship between the two of them."

Daphne frowned at her choice of words, but Blaise spoke before she could.

"Friendship? It's obviously an alliance of some kind, or at least in the mind of Draco. Potter probably thinks their best friends now, knowing that idiot. Draco must be trying to get on Potter's good side to gain a more positive image in the press and wizarding world in general."

Daphne nodded her head in agreement.

"Have some faith in Draco. He's a Slytherin, after all. Potter's just a measly Gryffindor."

"...A Gryffindor who beat the Dark Lord."

Both Blaise and Daphne started at this, looking at Pansy incredulously. She held up a hand to them.

"Just hear me out. There _has_ to be more to Potter than just being a stupid Gryffindor. Stupidity doesn't win a war. There's more to Potter we're not seeing and if I'm right, an alliance or any kind of partnership between the two of them is just as deadly as the Killing Curse."

The three sat in contemplation, long after their food went cold.

…

Wait, didn't they have Potions as well?

" _Shit!_ "

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

Can you guys tell I'm too excited about this story? Because I sure can. Well, less than a day later I'm back with another small chapter for you guys. The next one is most likely soon, going by the schedule I've set myself. Listen, I know I should take my time, edit the chapters thoroughly and then post. But that's boring and my muse and I are much too impatient. Leave a like and review if you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter 4: Gryffindor

Harry wanted a fireplace, he decided. A big one, just like the one in the Gryffindor Common Room. The warmth of it next to almost felt like magic across his skin. Harry hummed softly, gaining the attention of Ron and Hermione, who were sharing the red love-seat across from him. The fire cast soft shadows across their entwined legs resting on the table between the three. There were a few other people in the dorm, including a group of studying first years, and Ginny Weasley—who was practicing her transfiguration on a stray quill.

"What is it, Harry?"

Said boy's eyes flitted back to his friends and he gave them a small smile.

"I want to get a big fireplace in my new house. You guys know I've been trying to buy a house because I refuse to stay at Grimmauld Place and I will _never_ go back to the Dursleys," he said fiercely. Harry wished the Potter family had a house he could use, but sadly any properties they used to possess were destroyed during the first war.

A sly smile crossed Harry's face as he remembered, "Draco was telling me about all the kinds of magical properties fireplaces have in the wizarding world. Maybe I'll get one with red and gold flames, to commemorate Gryffindor once I'm gone."

Harry was looking for a reaction to his words and he was happy to get one. Ron had turned a bit green at the use of Draco's first name by Harry while Hermione was just observing him with a mix of exasperation and suspicion.

"Two things, Harry. One, fire is already red and gold—there is no reason to pay money to make it those colors. Two, Malfoy. Harry, what in Merlin's name is going on between the two of you?!"

Hermione got more worked up the longer she talked and at the end, she was red in the face and out of breath. She had started to stand up while she spoke by after a moment she leaned back with a huff. Harry raised an eyebrow. Ron looked like he had no idea what he was supposed to do. A sharp glance from Hermione makes him sit up, clearing his throat a bit.

"Harry, mate, what 'Mione meant was we've become a bit worried about this... _situation_ with Malfoy." Ron seemed wary about what to call their interactions, "Just, why start talking to him now—in _eighth year_ of all years!"

Harry nodded his head along with Ron's tirade and at the end, he looked his two friends in the eye before answering seriously, "I'm fine Ron, Hermione, really. We just thought it was time to bury the hatchet."

Hermione clarified for Ron's sake, "It's a muggle term. It means for two people at odds to get over their differences."

"Exactly," Harry added, "and if you have any more questions, Draco should be here any minute now."

Ron almost toppled over with how quickly he stood up.

"You invited him to the Gryffindor Common Room?! How does he even know where it is?"

Harry snorted. "Ron, if we were able to figure out where the Slytherin dorms were in our _second_ year, I'm sure Draco figured it out by the eighth."

Ron's ear blushed red at the statement before finding his resolve once again. "Even so, you shouldn't have invited him to the dorms.

Harry eyed Ginny, who was watching the scene unfold from afar. "Ginny brings Luna here all the time. How is that any different?"

Ron didn't know what to say. Ginny finally stood up, gathering her books. Over her shoulder, she acknowledged the trio before scolding Ron, "Get a grip Ron, or do I have to bring my Bat-Bogey Hex out of retirement?"

Ron sputtered as her flaming hair was finally out of sight, heading to the girls' dorm. Harry laughed in amusement before hearing a knock at the door. He pointed a finger at the red-haired boy.

"No funny business, you hear me?"

Harry made his way toward the door, opening it to see Draco standing there. The blonde wizard had shed his outer robes but he still wore the dark vest of the school uniform. Harry pulled the boy into the room before gripping him in a tight hug. Draco initially seized up before catching Ron's gaping face over Harry's shoulder, which is when he melted into the hug along with the dark-haired boy. A red tinge had started to spread across Hermione's cheeks, at which point she averted eye-contact with the scene altogether.

Harry turned around to lead the other boy to sit with him on the couch he had been occupying earlier. "I was thinking, Draco, that you might want to verse Ron in Wizard's Chess instead of me. He would be a much more worthy opponent. Don't worry, I'll cheer you on."

Harry fluttered his lashes at Draco, causing the other boy to enable every aspect of his Slytherin training to make sure the huge grin he was felt forming didn't come to the surface. Hermione fanned herself with one hand, probably from the heat of the raging fire, Harry thought. Ron, who had briefly lost the ability to form words, suddenly reanimated before pointing an accusatory finger towards Draco.

"You!" Ron exclaimed.

"Me," Draco replied in agreement. "Black or white?"

Ron, who looked ready to start another rant, stopped to let the question sink in. "What, wait…what?"

Draco patiently waited until the other boy's disjointed questioning died down before asking again, "Black or white?"

He motioned his hand to the chessboard Harry had set up while Ron was distracted. Ron still looked suspicious, but Harry knew the boy's love for chess would outweigh any ill will he felt towards Draco.

"Uh, Black." The other boy finally answered. The game started, but Harry had his sights set elsewhere, specifically on the bushy-haired girl sitting to Ron's right. Both Draco and Ron were deeply immersed in the game. Draco was leaning forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. So far, Harry had only given a few words of encouragement here and there to the other boy—but Harry was all about going that extra mile. Hermione seemed hyper-aware of any interaction between the two wizards. She squeaked slightly every time Harry leaned close to Draco.

Deciding on a plan of action, Harry gave a fake a yawn, "It's getting late Drake, how much longer?"

Draco himself almost blanched at the nickname, but what really almost did him in was the warm arm he felt snake around his own arm and the cheek he felt pressing against his shoulder. To keep his cool, he turned the entirety of his attention back to the game—where Ron hadn't looked up from once.

Hermione, while the smartest witch of her age, was _not_ able to keep her emotions in check as well as the blonde-haired wizard directly across from her. Harry looked on in bemusement as Hermione's eyes widened and she put a hand over her mouth. While she seemed in some state of shock, her eyes gave away the excessive amount of excitement she was feeling. She seemed to be stuck in that pose, Harry wondered what that reaction could possibly mean.

Well, that was enough experimenting for one night. Even though he was done messing with Hermione he stayed in his same position against Draco. Hey, the other boy didn't seem to mind and he was _incredibly_ cozy. Harry snuggled closer, deciding to close his eyes until the game ended.

Draco hoped the rising color on his face was hidden by the low lighting in the common room. Going by surprised choking noises suddenly coming from Ron's right, the boy wasn't so lucky.

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

I'm back! Not even a mere twelve hours later, here is the next chappie for all of you. I'm a bit busy this upcoming weekend, as I'm sure most of you are. It's Passover and Easter! If you want something new to read, I would recommend checking out my other stories on my profile. As always, leave a like and review if you enjoyed!


	5. Chapter 5: Coming Out

"Remind me why we're in a broom closet again, Potter?"

Draco had a right to ask. After all, Harry had kidnapped Draco on his way to class and pushed him into a broom closet. It was a small space to fit just him and Harry but the other boy was too distracted staring through the cracked open door to notice his close proximity to Draco. Why did they even have broom closets in the school? Didn't they have house elves and spells for that sort of thing? Draco huffed in frustration.

"Harry—"

"Shh! Hold on, hold on."

Finally, the dark-haired boy turned around to face Draco. When Harry noticed the peeved expression on Draco's face (it was _not_ a pout), a sheepish grin made its way onto his face. Harry ran a hand through his hair that looked permanently windswept. His face pinked when he noticed they were only standing a few feet apart. Draco couldn't help but breathe in Harry's scent, which smelled like a mix of cheap shampoo and under that, something much more earthy. Draco cleared his throat pointedly, ignoring the color in his own cheeks.

"Sorry, Draco. Lavender usually runs late to Transfiguration so I just wanted to make sure she wasn't suddenly early today."

"What in Merlin's name does Brown have to do with either of us?"

"Well, to come out of the closet of course."

Now Draco was really looking at Harry like he had six heads. Draco understood the 'coming out' part, but not the importance of having to come out of the closet. Draco pinched the bridge of his nose between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand.

"Harry, if you don't start making sense right now, I'm going to hex you to the next century before storming straight out of this broom closet. For starters, who gives a shit when Brown shows up to Transfiguration? Second of all, what in the bloody hell does a closet have to do with coming out?"

Draco's rant didn't seem to compute with Harry's tiny intellect but thankfully he finally seemed to understand what Draco was demanding. A guilty expression overtook Harry's face again.

"I didn't realize the closet part was a muggle thing. Interesting. Coming out of the closet just means coming out as gay in the muggle world. I just thought it would be funny to take it literally."

Harry laughed nervously at that part, realizing that Draco may not want to spend an extended amount of time with Harry in a broom closet. But Draco stayed silent, waiting for the other boy's full explanation. He had only answered one of his questions. A shy, sly smirk showed up on Harry's face.

"And Lavender, well, you know she's the biggest gossip in the castle, with Parkinson coming in at a close second. I thought we could drop a... _hint_ about our relationship for her. That way, she spreads the rumor of us making out in a broom closet and we let the school's imagination take over."

By the end of the explanation, Draco's right eyebrow had risen to his hairline. He didn't know Harry had that kind of cunning in him so he told him so.

"I'm surprised, Harry. That plan is quite devious. Rather _Slytherin,_ wouldn't you say?"

Draco avidly watched Harry's face, looking for the telltale sign of disgust any Gryffindor feels when compared to a Slytherin. Instead, he found stark amusement in the green-eyed gaze, and was that a little bashfulness as well? Harry gave the other boy a small smile.

"That's high praise coming from a snake, isn't it? I never imagined I would find myself in a situation to tell you this, but I was actually almost sorted into Slytherin. I was frightened by the rumors I had heard about the house so I begged the hat to put me in any house but that one."

Draco was stunned silent. Harry…was almost in Slytherin? The few minutes before the sorting came to mind. Reminding Draco of his rebuffed handshake. How different, Draco wonders, would life had been like if Harry had taken his hand then and there? The possibilities were endless, but before Draco could get lost inside his memories a high-pitched voice was heard down the hallway.

Turning from where he had gone to the door to investigate the noise, Harry suddenly grabbed Draco's hand—almost pulling him back to that night from years ago once again. Draco shook his head to bring himself back to the present. Now was not the time to get sucked into 'what ifs.'

Harry pulled Draco closer to him to whisper in his ear, "That's Lavender. Follow my lead."

Draco backed up quickly, not enjoying the smoldering temperature that had just taken over the broom closet.

A loud moan sounded to Draco's left.

Harry's face was right by the door, as he seemed to be trying to grab the attention of Brown and most likely the Gryffindor Patil twin. The talking outside the corridor stopped, as well as the footsteps Draco had been steadily hearing get closer.

Harry turned back to grin at him and whisper loudly," Now's our chance!"

Harry turned back to the door and moaned again.

"Oh, Draco! What are you doing to me?"

Draco clamped a hand over his mouth at Harry's overly-sensual tone. Snapping out of his initial shock, Draco went about selling the rumor as much as Harry. After all, they really should come out with a _bang._

"Harry," Draco moaned—his voice cracking at the other boy's name, "let's finally go all the way."

There was a challenge in Draco's eyes, one that Harry was happy to accept. The black-haired boy grinned before slamming his hands against the heavy wooden door.

The boy groaned before squeaking, "Where are you putting your wand, Draco? I don't think it's going to fit in there."

They both started a slow, rhythmic thumping on the door—gradually picking up speed with their moans.

"Oh yeah, take it! Take my big dragon!"

"I'm gonna—"

A loud slam against the wall left Harry's words in the dust. Draco smirked from next to Harry before practically slamming his whole body against the wall and groaning loudly, saying Harry's name in a low tone every few thumps.

Harry gave one last loud cry, "TAKE ME TO MERLIN, DRACO."

There were a few last thumps and then a loud roar from Draco before all sound ceased. There were a few seconds of tense silence, and Draco was worried that Brown hadn't taken the first groan as bait. Then a few seconds later, two loud footsteps could be heard running down the rest of the corridor. Draco peeked out and confirmed that it was Brown and Patil. He smiled widely before making his way out of the closet, Harry close at his heels. The two shared a soft look before they abruptly turned to look opposite ways, their cheeks flaming in unison.

"Race you to Transfiguration?"

"You're on, Potter."

The two shot down the hallway, both bound to be late anyways no matter how fast they ran.

* * *

McGonagall was in a relatively good mood. Other than her small breakdown earlier that week, the rest of the week had gone by smoothly and the weekend was once again fast approaching. Her next class was eighth year Transfiguration. She was forced to cancel earlier that week thanks to two hooligans but she prayed to Merlin class would run smoothly today.

When and Ms. Patil came bounding late into the room in a shocked huff, McGonagall didn't think anything of it—instead turning back once again to the blackboard to finish with her notes. Some days McGonagall found herself in the mood to write on the board the muggle way, especially if she was relaxed like she was today. She had years of practice filtering out students' conversations, but two names kept being repeated that causes an involuntary twitch in her right eye. Anytime Harry and Draco were even _mentioned_ in the same sentence was never a good sign.

But then another word joined the previous two; one that made McGonagall drop the chalk she was holding in her hand. She turned around quicker than it would seem her old bones would allow. The class fell silent at her sudden attention on them. McGonagall smiled tightly but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Now I'm praying to Merlin I heard this wrong, but did someone just say 'Draco,' 'Harry,' and 'broom closet' all in the same sentence? Don't be afraid to speak up."

Everyone turned to Lavender, but before McGonagall could start interrogating her, two familiar faces finally made their way into class. Lavender turned tomato red and soon as she saw them. Draco sent a smirk towards her and she squeaked. Both boys were out of breath and looked equally disheveled. Except for Harry's hair, which was in a class of its own. They were also standing much too close together for McGonagall's liking. She had started to connect the dots but was refusing to see the full picture until it hit her in the face.

Harry turned to face her to apologize. "Sorry for being tardy, Professor. We were a bit... _preoccupied._ "

Well if that last word wasn't a slap to the face McGonagall wasn't sure what was. Well, that was it. She made her way down the path between the desk, walking past Harry and Draco as quickly as possible.

"Class is canceled."

She was not dealing with this shit today. No thank you.

She heard call after her, "But Headmistress, we already canceled once this week!"

McGonagall kept walking.

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

Hey all! It's been a few days. I was really looking forward to writing this chapter so I hope you guys enjoyed :) And as you're waiting for the next update, how about checking out the other stories on my profile? They're actually edited! As always, if you enjoyed please leave a like and review!


	6. Chapter 6: The Reaction

The Prophet article was out by the end of the week. Harry didn't bother reading it. He would have given an interview just for the laughs but Draco refused to have any association with the newspaper, not after they dragged his family's name through the mud. Harry had a much more enjoyable time watching his peers' reactions with a look of utter amusement on his face. Harry knew from the mutterings around the school that it mentioned the broom closet, a private wedding, and a hidden away love child. And how was that last one even possible Harry would never know. Draco and he held hands any moment they were next to each other. So far McGonagall had dropped a stack of papers every time she glanced at their joined hands. Draco had now taken to draping in an arm around his shoulder whenever the older witch passed, hoping to scare her into her Animagus form. He wasn't successful...yet, but Harry wondered if it was possible.

He then reminded himself that he was currently sitting across from Hermione when he felt her eyes boring a hole into the side of his skull. The Prophet was laying on the table between them. Harry supposed she had a right to be upset, he did spring this on her out of the blue. Sadly Ron and she were getting pulled in with the tide of the prank. He turned to face her and felt a tugging on his right hand. Oh, yeah, he was still holding Draco's hand. Even in their prolonged grip, Draco's hand was as cool as the boy's exterior. Harry's always became clammy straight away but Draco thankfully never commented on it. Turning fully to Hermione, moving his conjoined hand with the other boy onto the table in front of them, Harry let out a gust of air.

"Hey, 'Mione, could you scare someone into their Animagus form?"

Hermione jolted at the question. She had been too busy staring at the two's entwined fingers. Draco looked up from his book long enough to notice her stare and gave a small smirk before lifting their joined hands to his mouth, giving the back of Harry's hand a slow kiss. All Harry could think was warm as Draco slowly pulled away, cold air sharply hitting the heated skin. Hermione let out a loud squeak/squeal noise before turning bright red. Harry's pigment joined her own, a bit embarrassed at Draco's forwardness himself.

" Thought so. " Harry heard Draco mutter. He tilted his head toward the blonde boy with a silent question. Draco winked at him but said nothing more, causing Harry's face to heat up once again. Hermione finally was able to compose herself, her hair had stopped frizzing out so much and her skin had turned to its usual color—though she still had some pink in her cheeks whenever she looked down at the table.

"The process the mind goes through does not make it easy to reach that different physical form. That's why there's so few Animagi. Why do you ask?"

Hermione shook her head to rid herself of Harry's question, a few loose strands of hair flying onto her face. She brushed them away in frustration.

"Harry, may I please speak to you privately?"

Her eyes kept darting between Harry, Draco, and their hands. Harry thanked Merlin when he saw a wisp of hair lighter than Draco's around a shelf corner. Luna Lovegood came into view, wearing the school uniform with a necklace made of radishes draped on top of it. She was carrying a notebook and quill and gave Harry a serene smile when she saw him gesturing to the seat next to Hermione. Luna sat down without a sound as Hermione sent a suspicious look towards Harry before giving Luna a close-mouthed smile. Draco didn't move from behind his book. Harry gave a large grin towards Luna.

"Hey, Luna, how are you?"

She looked between the Draco and Harry, the same calm expression on her face before answering, "I was wondering if I can interview the two of you for a Quibbler article. Daddy says we should try some articles to 'appeal to the wrackspurt-infested masses.' Now, who's the seme and who's the uke?"

Draco and Harry looked at each other in confusion. It wasn't a muggle or magical thing either knew of. Well, if anyone would know, it would be…

"Hermione, do you know what a 'seme' and an 'uke' is?"

Hermione seemed to have zoned out once Luna arrived, waiting for her to leave so she could personally confront Harry. At the black-haired boy's question, Hermione started to automatically answer without fully thinking about the question—alas, she had gotten too used to Harry's random and incessant inquiries.

"Seme and uke mostly refer to male-male relationships in Japanese manga and anime. The seme is dominant—the top, while the uke is submissive—the bottom—"

Hermione's brain finally caught up with her mouth and she finally stopped speaking. Draco, however, seemed more interested than ever. A wicked expression found its way onto his face, alighting his eyes in a very...Slytherin glow—that was the only way Harry could describe it.

"Oh, Granger, and how do you know all that?" His tone was teasing and Hermione was getting more red in the face at each word. Draco leaned forward a bit, setting down the book and putting his weight on his arms. "Do you maybe... like those kinds of things?"

That can't be true, Harry thought. Hermione slapped Ron or him anytime they said anything remotely perverted. But here she was, trying to hide behind her hands. Luna was forgotten to the side but she seemed fine with watching the spectacle along with Harry. Draco's grin only widened as his eyes alighted in victory, detecting a potential weakness. Draco leaned forward, even more, coming face to face with Hermione. She still had her eyes downcast but looked up fearfully at Draco's next question.

"You like seeing Harry and me together, don't you?"

The next action was both Draco and Hermione's fault. Draco had not respected Hermione's boundaries while Hermione had forgotten that she's technically an adult now—and not in third year anymore.

There was a loud crack! when Hermione's fist connected with Draco's nose, and Harry could hear Pince's faint 'shh!' in the distance. Hermione ran off to get Pomfrey with Draco while Draco moaned and cradled his broken nose. Harry had only noticed the two had left when he couldn't feel the weight in his right hand he had become familiar with. He turned to face Luna, who was still sitting in the same spot, acting like Draco didn't just get punched by Hermione—for the second time.

"Reschedule?" Harry asked weakly.

* * *

"I'm done"

"Min—"

"That's it, Albus. Even Hermione of all people has been sucked into their nonsense. No one is safe!"

"Minnie—"

"It's fine! You can take over as Headmaster from your portrait!"

"Miverva no—"

"Shh Albus."

"But—"

"Just be quiet, Headmaster."

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

It's me! I'm back with another shorty for you all. A bit short but what can you do? I'm just going to say this every time now so if you like this story, check out the others on my profile! I really appreciate it :) And as always, leave a like and review!


	7. Chapter 7: There's Something Wrong

"You see it, right?"

Draco didn't verbally respond, but his sour expression said it all. There was something wrong. It had been about a week since Granger had broken his nose. In that time, Draco and Harry spent as much time together as possible. Through his increased interaction with the Golden Trio, Draco came to admit they were not as terrible to spend time with as he thought they would be. Harry had admitted to Draco privately how he had been worried to meet Draco's friends. He found a much softer side behind the hard exterior of Pansy, Daphne, and Blaise. Draco recalled what Harry commented on after meeting them a few times.

" _They're like Hufflepuffs with how protective they are of you."_

Draco supposed he should take it as an insult to his friends and his own fragility, but from Harry, he knew it was genuine. Draco smiled softly. Harry was more interesting than he could have ever imagined. Every day he felt like he learned something new about the other boy. They both had no idea what they were doing after school, perhaps they could—

"Draco!"

Said boy jolted at the loud tone, sitting up straight abruptly. He unconsciously tried to pull his left hand from Harry's, but the boy had an iron grip. Draco would never admit it aloud, but he liked the contrast of the boy's heated grip against his own cool skin. A hand suddenly started shaking his shoulder. Draco looked over into startling green eyes. Harry's eyebrows were pulled down with concern.

"Where's your head, Draco? I've been calling your name for a while now."

Draco shook his head to bring himself back to the present. They were sitting in the Great Hall during the designated studying period. Students were diligently completing their assignments around Draco and Harry, not seeming to care about the two boys practically snuggling on the bench and holding hands. And there lies the problem the two were facing: no one gave a rat's arse that they were together anymore. That was quick, Draco thought. He thought the shock of a homosexual relationship between the Boy-Who-Lived and himself would last longer than a month.

Looking around the students now, there was none of that initial surprise left. Draco and Harry's relationship had just...blended in. Draco said so to Harry. The black-haired boy turned contemplative.

"We've blended in like I've wanted to do for years now. The only time I'm seeking attention…"

Both boys shared a silent laugh at that. Draco had come to learn how much Harry usually _hated_ attention, but he seemed to make an exception for this prank. And finally being in control of the attention he had garnered, Harry seemed almost comfortable with it. But now no one in the school paid them any mind, perhaps a lingering glance but after that, they would move on. Harry groaned quietly to his left.

"Even most of the Gryffs have gotten over it, saying that they 'trust my judgment' because they didn't want to make the past mistake of distrusting me as they did with the Heir of Slytherin and the rise of Voldemort."

Harry pouted at this and Draco gave an undignified snort.

"So dating me is the equivalent of the rise of the Dark Lord? I'm flattered."

Harry's eyes widened from behind his glasses as he realized what he said, but then he saw Draco's teasing smile and his face reddened to match his tie. He smacked Draco with his free hand"You know what I...they meant," The boy muttered petulantly. "But even Ron and Hermione have gotten over it. Well, maybe not Hermione…"

Well, Draco was doing his part to make sure she didn't get over them so quickly. Any time she came into their vicinity, Draco would pull Harry closer and wrap an arm around the shorter boy's waist. She still turned red in the face but she used to jump up in the air too, though not anymore. Even McGonagall, their most successful victim, was getting used to their antics as well—though she still involuntary twitched whenever she saw them together.

His mother had to be the worst. She wrote him a letter, the same day the prophet came out, saying she was _'glad my little Drakey is trying new experiences.'_ Draco can admit that his mother was right about one thing—Harry is an experience all on his own.

Even though the prank was close to petering out now, Draco didn't want to give up on it just yet. He straightened up slightly and Harry turned his head from where he had been looking off into the distance. Draco gave the black-haired boy a smile more befitting a Gryffindor.

"C'mon, let's fight back."

Harry gave him a grin that would put any Slytherin to shame.

"Oh, I have some ideas…"

* * *

"Okay, I'm now calling the second meeting of The Two Idiots because I do not have the time or energy to think of something better."

The lackluster statement originated from Pansy Parkinson. She was sitting on a chaise lounge in the Room of Requirement. Daphne were both sitting on their own chaise lounge while Granger and Weasley shared one. Pansy didn't understand the decorum of framed ink splotches or the frankly alarming number of chaise lounges. Granger had said when she made the room that while it wasn't what she asked for, they all seemed to be in an over-sized therapist office.

Turning to Blaise and Daphne, Pansy gave them gave them an encouraging look. "It seems you guys were successful convincing the other Slytherins and Ravenclaws. Nice job."

Blaise's bright teeth stood out against his dark skin. "Some tried to give Daph and me some trouble, but we…convinced them this was the best course of action.

Pansy's matched Blaise's expression before shuttering a bit when she turned to the two Gryffindors. "You guys were fine with getting the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. However Draco ,in particular, is still very suspicious of Granger. You better start controlling your emotions like a Slytherin or else we're going to be found out."

It was true. If they weren't careful, these meetings between Draco and Potter's friends would be for naught. The point, of course, was to understand the relationship between Draco and Potter and. The conclusion they came to was that it was impossible that it was a legitimate relationship. Granger went on for twenty minutes about the reasons they could be faking the relationship, the most plausible being that they both feel like they're running out of steam after the war and want to spice up their lives once again—without the looming threat of death that came from the Dark Lord. Pansy can respect that, but she won't accept being pulled into the masses herself. And she had been enjoying the peaceful school year. She didn't need two idiots ruining that.

Pansy twirled a strand of black hair between her fingers. "Okay, so we have the rest of the houses on our side for ignoring Draco and Potter. Are we good here?"

She made her way to stand up with the other Slytherins but was stopped but a Granger's raised hand.

"I know we all hope getting ignored by the school will end this "relationship" between the two, but I know for one just how stubborn Harry can get when he meets an obstacle. It's not enough to deter him, but it's a start."

Ron nodded along with her monologue, wholeheartedly agreeing with his girlfriend. Daphne finally spoke up, "I can't imagine Draco giving up so easily either. He's in Slytherin for a reason, we don't give in easily."

The five's determination was bolstered by the stubbornness of the two boys, and they went to plan their next move.

* * *

That could have been the end of Harry and Draco's prank. Multiple aggressive attacks _would_ have been successful against the two boys if they were ignorant of the origin of the plans. As it was, the group forgot about one significant piece of paper…

"Draco, you wouldn't believe the group of people gathering together right now. I think it's time we updated our battle strategy. No one messes with _this_ power couple!

"What's a power couple?"

"...Nothing. Forget I said that."

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

Hello! We're getting closer to the end, I can feel it. But not yet! If you like this story check out the others on my profile :) Leave a like and review if you enjoyed!


	8. Chapter 8: Mawwage

Ron Weasley was bored. He promised to meet his girlfriend outside her Ancient Runes class so they could walk to lunch together afterwards. Hermione needed to discuss something with the professor after class, so here Ron was, helplessly watching the rest of the school make their way to glorious, glorious food. His stomach rumbled loudly in jealousy, and the redhead clutched his stomach to try and calm it down. Too busy imagining all the food waiting for him in the Great Hall, Ron didn't notice two very familiar faces making their way down the hallway.

Feeling the weight of a stare, Ron finally looked up. It was Harry with that bloody Malfoy, still! Ron can admit in his head that the other boy wasn't as terrible as he thought all these years, and the same goes for the other Slytherins. The two meetings Hermione and him had with Parkinson, Zabini, and Greengrass had gone a lot more agreeable than the torture Ron had in mind. _However_ , just because Ron knows Draco isn't entirely a dick does not mean he will allow him to date Harry—even if it is for a fake relationship like the Hermione says (Malfoy might have also beaten him at Wizard's Chess, but that was neither here nor there).

Their relationship didn't look fake now, Ron could tell you that. Harry had an arm hooked around Malfoy's and was leaning into the other boy's body. Harry came up to a little above Malfoy's shoulder and was partly resting his head against it. The green-eyed boy was watching Ron with a mischievous look, but Malfoy only had eyes for Harry. He had such a fond, warm expression on his face as he looked down at the other teen that Ron wondered how much of their relationship was faked.

"Long time no see, Ron. Have a fun night last night?"

Ron's heart stuttered before starting to beat erratically. DId Harry know about the meeting? How? The Room of Requirement wasn't on the map, and they had all arrived separately. Ron sucked in a quick breath to calm himself. They didn't know anything; they _couldn't_ know anything. Because if they did, this whole castle was doomed.

Ron decided to laugh the question off. "Yeah, I played a few rounds of Exploding Snap with Seamus before heading to bed. Just a quiet night for me."

He laughed again and Harry joined in; Draco even chuckled as well. Ron didn't know what they were laughing at anymore. Harry stopped abruptly and pinned Ron down with a serious look.

"I know you met up with the Slytherins last night. I was on a late-night outing with Draco and saw you rush by. I was curious about where you were heading so late at night so I followed you on the map. A little patience and I saw Draco's friends arrive at the same location as you: the Room of Requirement. Quite curious, right?"

Ron's mouth opened and closed like a mouth of a hungry fish.

"No need to try and defend yourself. Know that Draco and I have taken this move into account and are ready to...get serious."

At the last two words, Harry brought Malfoys left hand in his mouth, and kissed the boys knuckles. Draco smirked before flipping over their clasped hands and kissing the same spot on Harry's left hand. The two boys gazed into each other's eyes for a moment before Harry turned to Ron once again.

"I do…hope I see you back at the dorm mate."

The couple started making their way down the hallways once again and Harry put a comforting arm on the stunned boy's shoulder as they passed. Draco finally looked over at him over his shoulder.

"I do…hope we have a rematch game of Wizard's Chess soon, Weasley."

Hermione finally came out of the classroom and made her way next to Ron.

"Was that just Harry and Draco?" She almost sounded disappointed to have missed them. Ron had heard some details of the recent broken nose incident from Luna but neither Hermione nor Harry would confirm anything he heard. Ron finally escaped his shocked state and turned fully to Hermione. She was looking at him with wide brown eyes, waiting for him to force the words out of his mouth.

"I have a crazy bloody theory. If I'm right, this is much more than a mere prank by Harry and Malfoy."

Ron stopped and took in a breath. The kissing on the knuckles, the choice of parting words-they were hinting at something terrifying. Before that interaction, Ron would have just chalked up any antics to the prank. But he saw the looks the two shared. While they might not realize it, in some way, this prank was serious. Hermione had a look of nervous anticipation for Ron's next words on her face, in response to the stark terror on the boy's own.

"Hermione, I think Draco and Harry want to get married."

* * *

"Success!"

" _Bollocks!_ You stepped on my foot, Potter!"

"Sorry."

The two boys had somehow found themselves in a broom closet once again, having snuck in there once Weasley had looked away. Draco was worried they hadn't been obvious enough but Harry assured him that Weasley wasn't a chess master for nothing—he could pick up on at least this. The only reason Draco had beaten the boy at all is that his father had paid for professionals to teach his chess as a child. Ron's skill was quite impressive for being self-taught, Draco could admit.

Granger and Weasley started making their way down the hallway, talking in hushed tones. They passed by the door with no incident and both boys inside sighed with relief. Once the couple was out of sight, Draco exited the closet as soon as he was able, Harry right behind him. The bespectacled boy grinned at Draco.

"The seeds have been planted. Now we wait for them to grow, watering them along the way."

Draco looked at him in utter confusion. "What in the bloody hell are you going on about? Speak normally. for Merlin's sake."

He started walking down the corridor, muttering, "Bloody Gryffindors and their dramatics."

Harry just smiled and clasped Draco's hand once again, both boys' cheeks turning pink, before pulling him along towards the Great Hall.

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

I would like to thank KnowInsight for their review that reminded me of something with the Marauder's map. Hopefully this chapter addresses your concern! Closer to the end still, but a there is still more ahead. If you like this story, check out the others on my profile :) Leave a like and review if you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9: Preparing for Battle

The third meeting of The Two Idiots was well underway in the Room of Requirement, in the same oversized therapist office as usual. Pansy was laying on her chaise lounge with her eyes closed, trying to breathe through the absurdity that was Ron Weasley's theory. Marriage! Merlin, how hard was that boy knocked in the head recently?

"I...kind of see where Weasley is coming from."

That was Blaise's deep voice. Daphne nodded her head slightly along with him, her blonde wavy hair moving with the motion.

"So do I."

Pansy turned to them with a look of utter betrayal. Did they agree with Weasley? The incident Weasley was referring to had happened four days ago. They were only now finding a chance to all meet. Even if Draco and Potter knew about the meetings, it was still pertinent to have them—since it seemed the other boys were continuing scheming. Daphne's blue eyes met Pansy's brown imploringly.

"It really might be true, Pansy. Earlier today I heard them discussing a guest list and invitations. They were even debating to separate the party depending on who invited them. Doesn't that sound like the isles in a wedding?"

Blaise cut in after the question with his contribution, "I saw them hanging out in the courtyard two days ago—trafiguring a rock into different flowers, like they were trying to decide on one. That seems like something they would do for a wedding."

Pansy was too shocked to respond, so she looked over to see the two Gryffindors' reactions. Ron looked a bit green while Hermione looked down in deep contemplation before glancing between the Slytherins.

"Has Draco been acting oddly in the dormitory? Anything to note at all?"

The three Slytherins thought back, but only Blaise had something that came to mind.

"For the past few mornings he's been humming a weird tune in the shower, one I haven't heard of before. Whenever anyone enters, he stops right away, like he doesn't want the other roommates to hear. Excuse my rudimentary vocal skills."

After the fourth note, Hermione's face had paled everywhere except her cheeks, making her look like she had a fever. The four other occupants looked over at her, curious.

"That tune is a muggle song called "Here Comes the Bride" by Richard Wagner. It's played at most muggle weddings."

"What about Potter?" Daphne asked eagerly.

Hermione groaned, "Oh Merlin. I remember now. Neville was complaining to me that Harry was taking a long time in the bathroom early yesterday morning when everyone else was mostly asleep. You don't think he was trying to find a look for his wedding, do you?"

Pansy breathed out through her nose. She eyes the occupants of the other chaise lounges in annoyance.

"All you guys have proved to me is that Draco and Potter are sticking to their word that their getting more serious about their prank. They're not going to go through with it! Merlin guys, get it together."

Blaise and Daphne looked a bit ashamed for falling for the prank, but Hermione just looked over to Ron, seemingly waiting for him to say something. The red-haired boy straightened up.

"I guess I didn't make it clear enough when I first explained it, but this isn't just a prank to Harry and Malfoy anymore. They might not realize it, but they have feelings for each other."

Pansy snorted, "No offense, Weasley, but I don't trust you as a love expert. We'll see who's right. If it's just a prank, they'll never actually propose—just tease the school with it. If it's real, Morgana help us, then we have bigger problems on our hands."

* * *

The whole school was abuzz with one rumor: Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter planned to get married. Minerva McGonagall swept past all the murmuring students, prudently ignoring everything they were saying. She clenched her fists as she made her way down the corridor towards the Headmistress office.

Marriage.

That was the last straw.

Making her way into her office, Dumbledore looked up from his portrait. Minerva turned to the empty portrait to the left of the older man's frame.

"Severus!"

McGonagall's tone brooked no room for argument, so Snape slowly slunk into his frame. The man had another canvas in the dungeon, one with a potion's lab, so that was where the portrait of the imposing man spent most of his time.

He sat down in the chair in his frame, giving McGonagall a sullen look.

"Yes, Minerva?"

Usually, the man would have added some snarky statement, but he was cowed by the hard look in McGonagall's eye. She looked between the two portraits.

"I didn't expect this to become necessary, but I need to list the help of the two of you. I have a war on my hands, and I need the strongest weapons in my arsenal. The final confrontation is coming soon."

"I'm sorry Minerva I missed all of that. I was curious if I had socks painted as well and if so, what kind of design was on them. I was hoping for bumblebees. Sadly, they are a plain white."

The aging witch plopped down in her chair, her head resting in her hands.

"Strongest wizard of his time my ass…"

* * *

Harry looked around abruptly from his position on Draco's bed. The blonde haired boy had finally ceased his search through his box of his father's belongings. He looked over at Harry in confusion and blushed at the strip on stomach he could see where the other boy's shirt rode up.

"What is it, Harry?"

The boy in question just gave him a grin.

"Nothing, really. I just think tomorrow will be an interesting day, don't you?

Draco smirked back and nodded in agreement, "I believe you're right there. I think I found exactly what you're looking for."

The silver band glinted slightly in the setting sun's like, but the majority of the ring was dirty and unpolished. Harry clasped Draco's hand in his own as he leaned in for a better look. He tilted his head to meet Draco's eyes, smiling again.

"It's perfect."

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

Hello again! Back with another chapter so soon. Sorry for being so short but the next one is gonna be a doozy. If you like this story check out the others on my profile :) Leave a like and review if you enjoy!


	10. Chapter 10: The Question

It was dinner in the Great Hall, and a magnificent feast had just been consumed. Harry elbowed Draco in the side, signaling to him that the other boy was about to put the final phase in motion. McGonagall had been watching the two at the Gryffindor table like a hawk all evening, and her gaze only sharpened when Harry stood up from the table and stretched.

"I'm beat from Quidditch practice today; I think I'm going to turn in early. Draco, dear, will you walk me to my dorm?"

Draco took that question as his cue to stand up as well. Harry then sank to one knee. The whole castle sucked in a breath.

"Hold on, my shoe's untied."

A collective breath was let out in a big _woosh_.

Harry tied his shoe slowly, and Draco could see him holding back his overwhelming amusement. An idea seemed to "suddenly" pop into Harry's head.

"While I'm down here…" He reaches into his school bag and takes a moment to find a small velvet box. Some of the younger years squealed—possibly Hermione too (though she'll never admit it). Harry opened the small box and held it out to Draco. A silver ring could be seen glinting inside the box, and the students who caught a glimpse gasped. Was it really going to happen?

Harry's eyes sparkle in utter mirth as he asks the question he and Draco had been anticipating.

"Draco, will you...get this ring polished for me? I found it in Sirius's belongings and I thought you might know a wizard jeweler. I mean look how dirty it is!"

"Yeah, of course I know a few; I'm a Malfoy of course. I would only ever give you the best, Harry."

Draco unceremoniously removed the box from Harry's hand and stuffed the box in his pocket. He pulled Harry up by the arm and kept the tight clasp on the other boy's hand.

"Don't worry about it. I'll just get it polished for you."

Draco unceremoniously removed the box from Harry's hand and stuffed the box in his pocket. He pulled Harry up by the arm and kept the tight clasp on the other boy's hand.

"Don't worry about it. I'll just get it polished for you."

Silence met their conversation and Draco looked around with faux bemusement.

"Well, what are you all staring at?"

"We're staring at you two bloody idiots!"

A loud voice was heard across the Great Hall. It was Pansy. It seems their efforts over the past few days had gotten to her, and she had finally been persuaded by Ron that they were actually going to get married (Draco knew Pansy would be hard to convince so any time she was near, he would have a staring contest with Harry, putting as much loving emotion into their eyes as possible. He guessed whatever she saw convinced her).

"I don't get it! This doesn't explain everything! What about the seating arrangements for the wedding? Choosing which flowers to decorate with? The bloody song for Merlin's sake!"

She hummed the few lines she remembered with a hint of hysteria.

Draco was becoming a bit worried that they had pushed her too far, so he turned to Harry to rectify the situation with his Gryffindor charm. Harry looked contemplative before standing up, slinging an arm around Draco's shoulders.

"I guess I'll answer your questions in order. First off, the seating arrangements were for me and Neville's joint birthday party. Draco was just helping me plan."

All eyes swiveled to Neville, who looked a bit intimidated by the sudden attention.

"It's true." Neville admitted. "We are planning a party together. But Harry came to _me_ with the idea."

It seemed Longbottom was trying to distance himself from him and Harry, Draco thought with amusement. Probably the best course of action, if Draco was honest.

"And the flowers were for my mom's birthday. Draco and I were going to take a trip to the memorial. I put in a request with Headmistress McGonagall."

Harry called to McGonagall, "Isn't that right, Professor?"

McGonagall could only nod slightly in response, seeming to be reformulating the battle plans in her head. Draco looked over to Pansy once again. She had calmed down immensely and was now standing beside the Slytherin table with the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger in utter defeat. Both Blaise and Daphne were resting their head on their arms, seeming resigned to hearing their complete decimation at the hands of Draco and Harry

They really fell for it! Draco was positively gleeful. He could see that joy reflected in Harry's emerald eyes, behind those horrid glasses. Ron and Hermione seemed to be faring quite differently, but no better. Hermione looked extremely disappointed that he and Harry weren't actually getting engaged. Ron's look was the oddest. He didn't look bested, like after Draco beat him in Wizard's Chess, he just looked contemplatively at the arm Harry had moved to Draco's waist. Ignoring that look entirely for now, Draco turned back to Harry to hear his final explanation.

"As for the song, it just happened to be stuck in my head—nothing more than that. Draco caught it from me, which I received hell for.."

The dark haired boy shuddered. It was true. Draco had ripped Harry a new one when he caught himself singing it in the shower. That song was supposed to be Harry's part of the joke but Draco felt _he_ was the one pranked. If the song got stuck in his head again because of Pansy, he swore to Merlin…

Hermione saw a chance to cut in, "But Harry, you were seen trying different hairstyles in the morning. What was that about?"

The boy blushed a bit and all Draco could think was _cute._ Draco shook his head in confusion. Since when did he consider anyone cute?

"Who told you that? That's private. I was just trying to get my hair under control. As you can see, I had zero success."

He gestured to the mop of black hair on his head. Hermione looked down again, embarrassed. There was silence throughout the Great Hall. Harry kicked at the ground for a moment as he waited for anyone else to say something before he pulled Draco towards the exit.

"If there's anyone who objects to our exit, please speak now or forever hold your peace…"

The doors closed behind them with no protest.

Then all hell broke loose.

* * *

The two boy made sure they were a safe distance from the Great Hall before making any noise. Taking refuge in an alcove in the third floor corridor, Draco and Harry took one look at each other before letting out all their pent-up laughter. Harry was resting his hands on his knees to help with the force of his laughter. Draco had bent down a bit with his own laughter but recovered much more quickly than Harry. The green-eyed boy finally straightened as well and wiped a tear from his eye.

"That was bloody amazing! You did great, Draco."

Harry gave him a soft smile with the compliment and Draco couldn't help but smile back. Harry had leaned forward at some point and Draco couldn't help but follow his example. This zoomed in, Draco could see a smattering of light freckles mostly hidden by Harry's glasses. He had gained a hopeful look in his eye, and Draco's stomach flip-flopped wondering what that look meant.

Harry leaned in more…

Draco backed up abruptly. He sneered slightly, the feeling in his chest dredging up his old attitude.

"Watch yourself, Potter. Before the year ends we need to break up, right? Any plan on how you want to do that?"

Harry was still leaning forward slightly and as he stood up, he gave Draco a look of hurt betrayal before covering it with cold anger when Draco mentioned breaking up.

"How about we break up now?"

The hostility in Harry's tone surprised Draco, but he wouldn't take it sitting down.

"Why? Scared Potter? Worried this prank's gone too far?"

Harry gave a barking laugh at the last question, no amusement in the sound.

"I think you're the one that's scared Malfoy. I guess it didn't mean anything to you. What, was this prank just supposed to be a means to an end? To have a better public image by being associated with me?"

Draco was becoming furious at the accusation and Harry's own anger was easily keeping up. The two stared at one another for a few seconds before turning around and making leaving down the hallway in opposite directions. Walking down the hallway, Draco knew he should be thankful his prolonged interaction with Potter was over, but he couldn't feel anything over the empty feeling emanating from his chest.

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

I moved up Lily's birthday by a few months to fit the story, just a disclaimer. I would say there are about five or six more scenes I have to write, no idea how many chapters it will be. I have other stories on my profile that are much more thought out than this one so check them out :) If you enjoyed this story leave a like and review!


	11. Chapter 11: Minerva's Move

"It seems this is the last meeting of The Two Idiots because the two finally got their shit together."

No one in the room seemed happy at Pansy's announcement. After all, Draco and Harry were both utterly miserable, and the negative attitude was wearing off on their friends. The castle itself seemed to be in a foul mood since the other day. The clouds in the Great Hall had stayed permanently cloudy and no amount of effort by the professors could reverse it.

"This isn't how I wanted it to end." Daphne blurts abruptly.

Me neither, Pansy thought. The group just wanted them to break up, not become husks of themselves once they stopped interacting. No explanation was forthcoming from either boy after last week's...incident, only the sullen line of, "We broke up." Draco had uttered it with a twisted smirk.

The two were completely ignoring one another, and it was affecting the rest of the school. Everyone was confused by the sudden fallout after the fake proposal. It seemed the whole school became out of sorts when Draco and Harry did.

Pansy clenched her fists in frustration, "I don't know where to go from here."

The five sat in silence once again, with only Ron looking ready to say something.

"Maybe…we have to get them back together. If they really do like each other, then we have to help them get over being such idiots."

"That's exactly right, ."

Hermione was the first to bolt up from her chaise lounge, followed swiftly by the others.

"Headmistress McGonagall!"

The elder witch was taking in the confusing decor of the room. She shook her head, choosing to ignore the minor thought and focusing on the bigger issue.

"Before you ask, I'm the Headmistress—it's my job to know where you guys all are. There are two reasons I'm here, and their names are Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Both boys have ignored my letters telling them to come see me. I need the five of you to help me corral them to my office. It's time...to get them back together."

McGonagall looked resigned at the last statement, like she just sold her soul to the devil. While it was quieter without Harry and Draco's relationship, it was almost too quiet—leaving a somber air throughout the castle. That's what pushed McGonagall to find the two boys' friends to help her get them back together. The castle's happiness was more important than her continued sanity.

"Just a few more months," she whispered under her breath. And then the school would be peaceful and happy. She looked at the mixed group of Slytherins and Gryffindors with a small smile. At least some good things came out of this prank war. Friendships between houses, especially Gryffindor and Slytherin, was always something to celebrate.

"Ms Parkinson, Ms Greengrass, Mr Zabini, you three will obviously deal with Mr Malfoy. Ms Granger, Mr Weasley, you two will take Mr Potter. Have them in my office in ten minutes."

All five stayed where they are, still shocked that they were receiving help from the Headmistress. Impatience started to color the lines of McGonagall's face.

"Well, what are you all waiting for? A written invitation? Go!"

The five quickly scurried past McGonagall, leaving her alone in the large therapist office. She sucked in a deep breath, knowing that after she leaves this room she will have to deal with her first significant incident at Headmistress. What she wouldn't do for a drink right now. A bar suddenly popped into existence on her left, filled with her favorite scotch. She looked at the wsall before quickly making her way out of the room and towards her office. She was a professional; she wouldn't drink on the job. Even so, McGonagall stares at the door she just exited longingly. After she got the two idiots sorted out, she would pour herself a tall glass in victory.

* * *

It took a bit longer than ten minutes. Harry arrived mostly on time not saying a word. Draco, however, was over twenty minutes late. Excellent, a blatant lack of respect was precisely what McGonagall needed to start this conversation. Now two sullen boys sat in front of her. Minerva stared at the two boys from across her desk. Draco had his arms crossed over his chest in defiance while Harry was looking to the side guiltily. Even when they were angry with each other, they couldn't stay far apart. Without realizing it, the two had moved their chairs as close as possible to each other. Every so often their shoulders would brush and both boys would shiver. McGonagall stood up and stayed still for a moment before starting to talk and pace.

"When I agreed to be Headmistress, I knew I would witness many obstacles and conflicts throughout my time in charge. I planned for everything. Voldemort's sudden return again? Covered. A house-elf uprising? Covered. Hogwarts being magically teleported to the bottom of the ocean? Covered! But I didn't plan on one thing: you two, Draco and Harry, ending up together."

"We weren't—"

"Silence, Mr Potter," McGonagall cut in smoothly. "No matter what you two were calling it, it was a real relationship. I have two working eyes and anyone could see you two are in love. Even Mr Weasley caught on. I was a bit surprised myself, but that just shows how bloody obvious the two of you were being."

Both Harry and Draco sputtered at this. McGonagall forged onward.

"As it is, the school seems to benefit from your union, as do the two of you. To rectify the situation, I've called in some reinforcements. Draco, make your way down to Professor Snape's portrait in the dungeons—I know you're aware of its location. Harry, you stay here. You will be talking to Professor Dumbledore. You may go back to your dorms after speaking with them. I suggest both of you two stop acting like complete idiots and instead show me the competent wizards you are. Honestly, men..."

Minerva started making her way out of the office. It was time for that drink she promised herself. Maybe she could get Poppy to join her for a nightcap. She waved a hand over her shoulder.

"You can thank me later."

* * *

Unedited

Sorry for such a short chapter again, the next one will probably be longer. Getting closer! If you like this story but actually want something edited check out the stories on my profile :) Please leave a like and review if you enjoy!


	12. Chapter 12: Conversations

"Took you long enough. Close the door behind you and sit down."

Draco pulled the heavy wood door shut before making his way into the upper-year Potions laboratory. Snape was still a teacher in some aspects, lending help occasionally to the small number of visitors to the room. More often than not it was Draco himself, just finding comfort seeing his godfather—even if it was in portrait form. Severus Snape looked imposing as ever, even two-dimensional. He still wore the same black robes that he wore when he was alive and was bent over a potion in his frame. Once Draco had sat down, Snape made his way around his potions table and leveled Draco with a flat stare.

"Potter, really, Draco?"

The boy's face flushed at the suggestion coating the question.

"It wasn't really like that. It was a prank—we were bored. Simple as that."

Draco moved to stand up and make his way out the door.

"Did I say you could leave? No? Then sit. back. down."

There was a faint plop sound as Draco quickly retreated back to the chair.

Snape was silent for a moment, staring at him once again. Draco tried to keep his gaze but averted his eyes soon enough. His godfather had scary eyes sometimes, and right now they looked particularly haunted.

"I won't keep you here long, I expect you believe you have much better places to be," the man said sarcastically. "As it is, I owe Minerva an infinite amount of favours, and I believe you need to hear what I have to say."

Snape paused for a moment here, almost looking unsure of what he wanted to say next, if Draco thought that was possible for the man. The blonde haired boy didn't want to let out a breath lest he broke the tense silence. Finally, Snape spoke.

"I was once in love with a Gryffindor as well. And I did exactly what you did—I ignored my feeling and pushed any romantic notions to the back of my mind. And for a while, it worked. Our stories differ from here, but my biggest regret was never acting on my feelings—instead, I put a permanent distance between myself and her. I wonder if things would be different if I had spoken up, then maybe…

"My point, Draco, is to _live_. Your father isn't here to tell you to hold back what you feel anymore. Take the next step and live a happy life. Don't lose Harry like I lost Lily."

Snape turned away quickly and made his way back towards his simmering potion.

"You know the way out."

Draco took that as his cue to stand up and make his way towards the door. Before he closed it behind him, he murmured, "Thank you, Uncle Sev."

It had been years since he called the man by that name. The door shut swiftly behind Draco, leaving no one to witness the small smile that bloomed on Snape's face.

* * *

"You're quite in a tizzy aren't you, my boy?

Harry turned his eyes away from the closed door of the room with downcast eyes, the same door Draco had just exited. Dumbledore was now seated in his gold-framed portrait. His blue eyes still twinkled even as a portrait and Harry relaxed a bit without realizing.

"Sort of, sir."

The old wizard smiled gently at Harry.

"Boy troubles? I know the feeling."

Harry gaped for a second before continuing, "I guess I'll just blurt it out then...I like Draco. I mean I _like_ like him."

Dumbledore nodded his head seriously.

"Minnie told me all about your prank with Draco. I must commend you and , my boy. From what I've heard, your prank was stupendous. It takes me back to your father's time at school."

A question came to the front of Harry's mind that had been simmering in the background.

"Sir, I was wondering if you could tell me about the final prank my father played at Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore let out a small chuckle, "I was wondering if you would ask me about that, Harry. The Marauder's final prank was their greatest one. They hooked up sensors around the school that let out bursts of glitter whenever anyone walked past. No one knew the properties of the glitter, your father and his friends refused to share the details, so the castle descended into chaos. I can't remember the infirmary ever being filled nearly as much as it was that hellish week—everyone was worried that a simple pimple or cut was a result of the glitter. And the glitter, Harry, was the worst part. No matter how much people cleaned themselves, they would always find more glitter! One boy had a breakdown after his third shower in a row. The crux of the prank? It was muggle glitter, charmed to be resistant to spells. It seems the material has natural properties that make it hard to get rid of. Once the prank was in motion, your father kicked back and relaxed and watched the chaos unfold for the final week of school."

Dumbledore looked a bit sheepish when he admitted, "Even I got caught in the prank when I continued to find glitter in my beard day after day."

A smile spread across Harry's face the longer Dumbledore spoke, ending with it stretched from ear to ear.

"That's brilliant, Professor."

Dumbledore met the boy's smile with one of his own. Slowly it disappeared, leaving a more serious expression on his aging features.

"Don't hide behind pranks to cover your true feelings, Harry. James was lucky enough to have this method work; I'm quite certain you don't have enough time to woo a girl for seven years. You only started seducing Draco a few months ago, and while you were successful in gaining his affections, it seems you're having trouble sealing the deal.

Harry's face flushed with how easily Dumbledore was talking about a romantic relationship between him and Draco.

"You have to admit it to him outright," Dumbledore continued, "but you must also prepare for the chance that Draco isn't ready to return your feelings."

They stared at one another a moment, Harry looking away first. Dumbledore looked on thoughtfully.

"A final word of advice, Harry, and then I'll let you go. I see guilt in your eyes, even as you try to hide it. I can only guess it has something to do with Draco so I will give these last parting words: apologize. You will regret it for the rest of your like if you lose Draco here. We can only find forgiveness if we look for it, remember that Harry. Now, if you would excuse me…"

The portrait then pulled out a pair of knitting needles connected to a pair of...socks? And were those bumblebees on them? As Dumbledore started humming Here Comes the Bride.

Harry slowly backed out of the office until he felt the wooden door against his reaching hands. He shut the door behind him as quickly as he could, drowning out that awful tune. Thank Merlin.

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

Do you guys hear a resolution right around the corner, because I do! Well, I hope I did Snape and Dumbles a little justice, though of course I would never be able to encompass their full characters in a few pages. If you like this story, check out the others on my profile :) Leave a like and review if you enjoy! (Accidentally deleted so sorry about the double post)


	13. Chapter 13: Chu

"Is this seat taken?"

"No, obviously, you see anyone sitting close to me?"

It was true, for the past day Draco had kept a large personal bubble around himself. Harry imagined him as on a lone island, far away from anyone else. He took a seat next to the cool-tempered boy. They both stayed there, silent for a moment before Harry opened his mouth out of sheer determination.

"I have something to tell you, but first I need to apologize. I shouldn't have accused you of just using me to benefit your public after getting to know each other so well. I know there's more to you than just a superficial Slytherin, but that's getting into the second point. I'm really, truly sorry, Draco. Can you forgive me?"

Draco was silent for a few moments, every one of them causing increasing anxiety in the bespectacled teen.

"I forgive you. I believe I should apologize as well for being so curt and avoiding the situation."

The situation, referring to me leaning in and being rebuffed, Harry thought with a flush.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. And I'm just going to come out and say it before I chicken out."

Draco whispered a confused, "Chicken out?"

Harry forged on with an optimistic, forceful tone, "I like you, Draco. Like I _really_ like you. I accept your past, but I'd rather focus on the present. I want to be with you Draco, not just as part of the prank. I want to see you smile and laugh every chance I can get because that's when I'm the happiest."

Harry finished with a breathless pant as he looked over to Draco, meeting the boy's silver gaze. The shock and warmth held there surprised Harry, but he was overjoyed to see it. Draco took the boys hand, running a thumb across Harry's knuckles.

"I'm sorry I shied away before. I'm not scared anymore. I like you too, Harry. _A lot_."

Their eyes both flickered downward at the same time, and they leaned forward as one. The kiss was soft at first. It felt like a dream to Harry. His lips were a bit chapped, but Draco soon wet them with a quick swipe of his tongue. Harry's eyes flicked open at that from where they had fluttered shut. Neither Cho nor Ginny had ever been so forceful or forward with their kisses. One of Draco's hands flew to the small of Harry's back while the other took a firm grip of the back of Harry's hair. Harry could only hold on to the front of Draco's robes for dear life. The two boys explored this new side of relationship with abandon, only coming up when a breath of air became necessary. Harry had never felt so giddy, every new touch of lips spread fire down his spine and through his belly. He could go on kiss Draco for hours—

THUMP

The boys popped apart to see that Hermione had face-planted into her mashed potatoes in a dead faint. Ron lifted her head out and gave both of the boys the death glare. The look was watered down by the fact that his girlfriend's head was lolling on his shoulder, covering part of his neck in the potatoes.

Oh, right. They were in the Great Hall.

"You're goddamned right you're in the Great Hall!"

Did Harry say that out loud? That was McGonagall. A horde of noise from students around them broke out after that. It seems Hermione passing out was the trigger for the rest of the school to start talking.

"Wait until I get my hands on you Malfoy, Potter!"

That was Pansy. Time for them to go. Harry grabbed Draco's hands and made a bolt for the door, laughing all the way. And if they had to duck a few curses along the way, courtesy of Blaise, Daphne, Pansy, and Ron, it was worth it in the end for Harry to still feel the tingling on his lips.

"Get a room you two!" Seamus called out after them in amusement.

"With pleasure!" Draco yelled back over his shoulder, causing Harry to get flushed all over again. This time with anticipation.

* * *

"We were thinking, Professor, that I could come on as the Defense professor, and Draco can apprentice under Slughorn until he retires. What do you—"

"No. Absolutely not."

"But—"

"I am not going to have you two come work here right out of school. My sanity wouldn't handle it. Go play Quidditch for a few years, mature a bit, and then come back and talk to me."

"Well, it was worth a try. We will take you up on that offer in the future, you know that right?

"I am aware, ."

"It's Harry, Professor. After all, aren't we about to drink to thank you for bringing Draco and me together? We're not your students anymore, after all."

Throughout the whole conversation, McGonagall had her eyes closed at the absurd concept Harry had been trying to pitch at her, but her eyes opened at the mention of drinking.

"...Call me Minnie, Harry. Draco! Where's my scotch?"

"Coming Prof—Minnie."

Minerva gratefully accepted the glass of amber liquid, Harry taking his own from Draco. They were in the Room of Requirement. The eighth-year graduation that McGonagall had turned a blind eye to happened a few days ago. Technically they were all of age, was her argument if anyone asked. Now the three were having a small party to thank McGonagall for getting Draco and Harry together in the end. She looked up from the liquid in her glass to watch the two boys curl up together on the small couch the room provided for them.

"So, what should we toast to?"

Harry piped up almost immediately after the question,"Luna mentioned a name she thought fit 'Harry' and 'Draco' together very well. "

He told it to them. Draco laughed for a second before agreeing, McGonagall nodding her head with a smile as well.

The three clinked glasses before yelling as one,

"To Drarry!"

END

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

Well, there it is. Shoutout to GammilyIsMe for giving me the future path of Draco and Harry—the Quidditch players then professors at Hogwarts part. If you liked this story, I have more on my profile. Leave a like and a review if you enjoyed. And thank you, everyone, for your support!


	14. Chapter 14: Epilogue-Five Years Later

_I have been advised by my dear friend Poppy Pomfrey to start a journal. I respect her opinion, so here I am. Truthfully, today is the worst day so far in my career. Why?_ ** _They_** _are coming. Today is the day of the two dreaded interviews. Harry Potter is interviewing for the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. Draco Malfoy is interviewing for the job of Potions Professor. Five years. I had five years of no Malfoy and Potter. But now they're back, and I'm done for. Merlin help me, this is the end!—_

"Minnie, maybe don't read along with what you're writing? The other portraits don't seem to appreciate your commentary. I, for one, am excited to see the two boys again. You should be too."

Minerva McGonagall sat up straight from her bent position over the journal. Dumbledore was right; the portraits were eyeing her weirdly. But that was the only part he was right about. She was not excited to see those two. The last time they were at the school they wreaked havoc on everyone attending at the time. The two were accepted into the International Quidditch leagues straight out of Hogwarts. After playing as opposing seekers for two years, Harry and Draco finally went on to receive Mastery in their respective subjects. And now…

McGonagall shook her head. She didn't even know if the boys were still together. What if one didn't know about the other's application? She didn't want to know what would happen if the two went at odds as adults. A charm alerted her that eagle staircase was just triggered.

Dear Merlin, the first one was here. A knock was heard at the door. Minerva let the silence stretch as long as she could allow it professionally. Dumbledore had started to pointedly clear his throat when the witch finally spoke up.

"Come in."

The door swung open, greeting McGonagall with a familiar mop of black and blonde hair...wait, Draco was already here? Harry's green eyes lit up once he saw her. And his green eyes seemed to be the only familiar thing. He had the body of a toned athlete, which is expected from his Quidditch career. Once the two stepped into the room, Minerva could see that Draco had grown as well. Both boys had grown out their hair a bit but had styled it well. Harry even had a small beard!

Not too bad, not too bad, McGonagall thought. She looked down at their linked hands and sighed a bit in relief. So they came here together. A trickle of fear fell down her spine. Why were they coming in at the same time? Seeing her suspicious look, Harry rubbed his free hand through his hair with a sheepish expression on his face as he sat down in the chair on her left side, Draco taking the other.

"Hullo Professor McGonagall. I hope you don't mind if we did our interviews at the same time? Less work for you later, right?"

McGonagall just stared at them. The two, at the same time? Well, they would be finished faster. But why did they want their interviews at the same time?

She asked them as much.

Draco only shrugged, "We thought it would be more interesting."

Harry nodded along with Draco and piped in once he was finished, "And it would be nice to catch up all together. How are you, Minerva?"

The name sounded weird coming out of Harry's mouth and from the looks on their faces, the two boys agreed. Minerva only sighed.

"I told you two to call me Minnie. But as it is, we should get these interviews underway."

Both boys sat up in their seats at the statement. Their posture demonstrated to Minerva how the boys had matured over the past five years. These boys, no, these _men_ , looked determinedly at her. Gone were the gangly teens who had no real direction for their future. Now, they both had a determined air about them, and they both looked ready to take on any challenge. With her help, their full potential could be realized. As much as those two stress her out, she knew the two could run this school spectacularly if they put their minds to it. Oh, but it might just kill her along the way, McGonagall thought morosely. She then noticed that the two were still holding hands between the seats.

"While you two might have a lot of leeway, I cannot allow you two to hold hands throughout the rest of the interview. I would at least like to keep _some_ decorum of professionalism."

"But Minnie they're so cute!"

Minerva could feel a vein about pop on her head at Dumbledore's comment.

"Albus, shut up," McGonagall muttered to him with clenched teeth.

Both Draco and Harry were trying to hold back their amusement at her interaction with Albus. Before this interview was over, she was going to lose all credibility. Harry sent another sheepish grin her way and Minerva sighed deeply while closing her eyes.

"What is it? Just spit it out."

Harry gave a nervous laugh, "Well, y'see, it's a funny story—"

"George jinxed us at a party last night. We can't stop holding hands for 24 hours. He knew we were coming here tomorrow."

Draco had a pinched look in his features, most likely from being outwitted by a Gryffindor, and a Weasley to boot! Minerva held back her laughter but Albus had no qualms about belting out a loud chuckle.

"Oh , he's still causing trouble in this castle this many years later. Minnie, aren't his products a big hit with the students?"

Minerva rolled her eyes, "Yes, I especially love the new product I've seen in the halls that is an updated Polyjuice Potion. Why wouldn't I want to be mooned by a kid looking like Hagrid?"

Her sarcastic reply was met with laughter from Harry and a snort of amusement from Draco. McGonagall looked at her two boys again, watching the joyous smiles play across their face when the two made eye-contact. Five years later and they were still as lovesick as when they first got together. She looked back down at the parchment of questions for prospective teachers before glancing up at Dumbledore's portrait.

He seemed to know exactly what she was asking because he gave a small shrug and replied, "The interview was mostly for when the Defence position was cursed. I'm sure you already know where your heart lies."

Both Harry and Draco were now looking on in confusion and the two professors' odd interaction. Looking at the two of them again, McGonagall gave a small nod before balling up the piece of parchment.

Harry finally piped up, "Minnie, don't we have an interview to do?"

"You're both hired," was her brief reply.

Green eyes widened as Harry's face stretched into a grin.

"Really?" He asked with barely contained excitement.

Merlin, don't make her repeat it just yet. She was still getting used to the idea of the two men being her colleagues from now on. Minerva glanced down at the balled up paper. Sweet Morgana, what had she gotten herself into?

When she looked back up, the two boys were embraced in a passionate lip-lock. Draco brought up his left free-hand to cradle Harry's face, the silver band on his finger glinting off the candles—

Wait.

"What is that?"

The two broke apart immediately, both red in the cheeks. Draco followed her line of sight to his hand. He smirked.

Oh no.

That dread was building in her once again.

"It's the reason we were celebrating of course. Why don't you show her yours, honey?"

Harry swatted Draco's shoulder at the pet name but obligingly held up their joined hands, maneuvering the hold so that his matching silver band was on display. Harry then started chattering on about their wedding plans.

"We don't have a date set yet but you're both obviously invited. Are we able to invite a portrait? Anyways, I want a summer wedding but Draco wants a winter one. We both agree that it's going to be pretty small…"

Harry's voice was drowned out by the roaring in Minerva's ears. What did she just agree to?

"No take backs, Minnie," Dumbledore commented with a wink. Minerva only groaned with resignation.

She suddenly had an idea to get back at her boys a bit.

"I'm curious," Minerva cut off Harry's monologue, "to which one of you is taking the others name."

Harry smiled, "That's easy, Draco's taking mine."

At the same time, Draco replied, "Harry's taking my name."

The two locked eyes in a silent battle, seeming to have a conversation unheard by Minerva or Dumbledore.

Harry turned back to her and gave a tight smile, "Excuse us for a moment. I have to get it through this guy's skull that he is obviously taking _my_ name, not the other way around."

Draco only scoffed and rolled his eyes, "In your dreams, Potter."

Harry stood up quickly, making Draco stumble to his feet as well by their linked hands.

"Is that a challenge, Malfoy?"

Draco smirked back at his flustered fiancé, "Let's settle this on the Quidditch Pitch. Whoever doesn't catch the snitch has to take the other's name."

Harry gave a vicious smile at the challenge, "You're on."

The door shut behind their retreating bodies quickly, the heavy wood making a resounding thud as it fully closed. There was only silence from Dumbledore and McGonagall before the portrait broke it with a curious reflection.

"I wonder how long it will take them to realize their hands are still stuck together."

* * *

A/N:

Unedited

I know my Minnie is a bit OOC but it's my story so, there (I'm sticking my tongue out right now). I believe Minerva is a very strong-willed character but Harry and Draco are her kryptonite, in my headcanon at least.

I couldn't help myself from writing a little epilogue so I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm out of writing ideas now that this story is officially done so if anyone has any prompts you want written feel free to send them my way. I'm not saying I'll definitely write it, but if I like the prompt I might. Anyways, if you like this story check out my other works on my profile. Leave a like and review if you enjoyed!


	15. Chapter 15: Bonus Chapter!

"Mate, your sleeve is on fire. Again."

Harry looked down. Ron was right. His sleeve was, in fact, on fire.

"Oh, bloody hell."

He took out his wand and cast a quick _Auguamenti_. Then a quickly drying spell.

Good as new…?

"Those pre-wedding jitters are a bitch, right? I didn't get them anywhere as much as you are, but I woke up the morning of completely green, from my skin to my hair. Luckily it wore off within the hour."

Harry looked at Ron like he had just sprouted wings and flew away.

"What the hell are you on about?"

Now Ron was looking at him confusedly.

"You know, pre-wedding jitters? Your magic goes all out of wack right before you get married. It's stronger in some more than others. Looks like you're on the stronger side of the spectrum."

Harry blinked at him before bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. This is one of those times Harry really hated the fact that everyone assumed that he knew everything about the magical world.

"Ron. Muggle-raised, remember?"

Ron snapped his fingers in realization, "Right, mate. Sorry. I always forget. It's just that you and Hermione are so knowledgable about the wizarding world I forgot you two weren't born into it."

Harry blushed slightly, not expecting the compliment. His brief anger dissipated.

"Thanks, Ron."

Ron gave him a wide grin before asking, "So, are you ready?"

Harry let out a breath before nodding. Draco and he had agreed that Harry would be the one to walk down the aisle because Draco had been the one to propose first. Harry had a proposal set up for later that week but Draco had beaten him to the punch, the prick.

"Stop smiling like that, you idiot. You look so in love I'm going to barf."

Harry only laughed in response. After straightening his bowtie, he nodded at Ron, who nodded back.

"It's time."

* * *

Draco and Harry had both agreed to also have women for 'groomsmen,' as some of their closest friends were girls. Draco's 'groomsmen' consisted of Blaise, Theo, Pansy, and Daphne. Harry's included Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny.

Harry could hear the wedding music playing from the organ that Flitwick had conjured to automatically play for the duration of the ceremony. Now, all he had to do was open the doors to the Great Hall. All the 'groomsmen' were already out there. They were all waiting on Harry.

No pressure or anything. Not like Harry hasn't had more stressful situations.

Cough. Voldemort. Cough.

Harry shook his head of the past and instead focussed on his bright future with Draco. He couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with the man. Just thinking about it made Harry giddy.

Taking a steadying breath, Harry pushed open the doors to the Great Hall.

Standing at the other end of the Hall was Draco, and he looked gorgeous. He was wearing a midnight blue dress robe that complimented his figure _very_ well, in Harry's opinion. Harry started with his usual brisk pace until he remembered this was his fucking _wedding_ and maybe he should slow down. He passes by the few rows of seats lining each side of him and seeing the familiar faces boosted his confidence. It wasn't a big wedding—most of the Hall wasn't filled. But that was okay. He and Draco didn't need something big; they just wanted to be with the people they cared about.

Behind Draco and his friends was Dumbledore's portrait. He would be leading them in the ceremony. Snape's portrait was also there but on a different wall. Harry finally made his way up to Draco, whose eyes were suspiciously shining.

Once they were beside each other, Draco leaned over and whispered, "You look beautiful. But I wish you would've worn the wedding dress robes I picked out."

"Shut your fucking trap and smile for Dumbledore."

Dumbledore, of course, had been listening to them the whole time and was smiling at them amusedly. He coughed once, politely.

"Gentlemen, if you're ready."

Both Draco and Harry nodded enthusiastically. They certainly hadn't been born ready, but there was no time like the present.

Then, Dumbledore projected his voice in a way only he knew how.

"Ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage ceremony for Harry James Potter and Draco Lucius Malfoy. Both have prepared their own vows, so I will leave it to them. Draco, my boy, will you start?"

Draco nodded and pulled a paper out of his pocket. It looked like it had been folded and unfolded countless times. Harry smiled softly, falling even more in love with every passing second—if that was even possible.

Soon after, Draco started: "Harry, before I fell in love with you, I didn't know what true happiness was. You taught me how to enjoy life. You taught me how to laugh again. But most importantly, you taught me that tattoos only run skin deep but love reaches your heart. I love you, Harry. If I can't be certain of anything in this world, the one thing I know to be true is that I love you."

Of course, Harry had started tearing up during his speech, and he also heard some sniffles coming from the crowd.

"Harry?" Dumbledore prompted softly.

Taking a deep breath, Harry began: "I had a speech prepared as well, of course, but sadly it burst into flames because of pre-wedding jitters. So I guess I'll just speak from the heart. Draco, you complete me. Without you, I don't feel like a full person. We're two halves of a whole and I couldn't be happier with my other half. You're the moon to my sun. I couldn't live without you. I love you so much, Draco."

Draco had a tear running down his cheek but he swiped it away before it could finish its path. Dumbledore was smiling at both of them, looking incredibly proud at how far they've come.

"Now," Dumbledore spoke again, "if Hagrid and Fang could bring out the rings."

The door to the Great Hall cracked open and Hagrid stuck his head out.

"I 'ave a present fer the two lovebirds, actually. Do you mind?"

"Oh Merlin, Hagrid, please don't ruin this day for us," Harry pleaded softly.

His hopes were dashed, however, when Hagrid proceeded to bring a hippogriff into the Great Hall. Specifically, Buckbeak stepped into the Great Hall.

"Look, 'Arry! It's Buckbeak!" Hagrid shouted across the room, not reading the horrifying atmosphere that had overtaken the Hall.

"Um, I see that, Hagrid," Harry replied weakly. Looking over to his right, Harry was startled to see how pale Draco was.

And then he remembered the incident in third year. And now that Harry looked, Buckbeak was looking very avidly at Draco.

Under his breath, Harry whispered to Draco, "On my signal, run for the exit behind the teacher's table. I'll distract Buckbeak."

" _Accio_ Draco and Harry's wedding rings!" Harry yelled. The necklace around Buckbeak's neck broke and the rings came flying into Harry's outstretched hand. Quickly, Harry put the ring on Draco's finger and then his own.

Then, he swooped Draco down into a searing kiss, snogging the life out of him for a second or two. There was whoops and whistles from all around the room.

Harry parted their lips with a loud smack.

"WE'RE MARRIED." Harry proclaimed.

Then he grabbed Draco's hand and ran towards the back door.

"Bahamas?" Harry asked.

"Bahamas." Draco concurred.

They were starting their honeymoon earlier than expected, they guessed. Everyone else could deal with the Hippogriff.

Harry had a marriage to consummate.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello, all! Long time no see, huh? I just had the inspiration for this so I thought why not add it as a bonus chapter for everyone? I hope you guys enjoy!


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